Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed the use of integrative medicine to achieve extended healthcare coverage in developing countries facing high morbidity. Traditional remedies are frequently employed to prevent and treat infections among South Africans; however, the ways in...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Zelna Booth Sabiha Essack Sandy van Vuuren |
| author_facet | Zelna Booth Sabiha Essack Sandy van Vuuren |
| author_sort | Zelna Booth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed the use of integrative medicine to achieve extended healthcare coverage in developing countries facing high morbidity. Traditional remedies are frequently employed to prevent and treat infections among South Africans; however, the ways in which they interact with conventional antimicrobials are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the interactions between commonly traded medicinal plants at a traditional medicine market in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, and conventional antibiotics and antifungals. Methods: To determine the interactive antimicrobial profiles for plant/conventional antimicrobial combinations, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays were performed against ESKAPE pathogens and the yeasts <i>Candida albicans</i> and <i>Candida glabrata</i>. Calculated fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC) values were used to identify synergism or antagonism, with synergistic interactions further tested in vitro for toxicity. Results: A total of 952 combinations were tested, of which 5.8% and 54.6% of the plant/antibiotic combinations were synergistic and antagonistic, respectively; additionally, 1.7% and 58.6% of the plant/antifungal combinations showed synergism or antagonism, respectively. The most toxic plant/antibiotic combination was <i>Artemisia afra</i> with doxycycline (71.1% mortality). The most toxic plant/antifungal combination was <i>Acorus calamus</i> with fluconazole (78.8% mortality). Conclusions: When medicinal plants acquired from a traditional medicine market in South Africa are used in combination with conventional antibiotics and antifungals, more than half of the combinations exhibit antagonism, which is concerning. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-3f69546cc56a44dc972e0be08eb79dcf2025-08-20T01:56:24ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822025-05-0114551210.3390/antibiotics14050512Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity StudyZelna Booth0Sabiha Essack1Sandy van Vuuren2Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South AfricaAntimicrobial Research Unit, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South AfricaDepartment of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South AfricaBackground: The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed the use of integrative medicine to achieve extended healthcare coverage in developing countries facing high morbidity. Traditional remedies are frequently employed to prevent and treat infections among South Africans; however, the ways in which they interact with conventional antimicrobials are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the interactions between commonly traded medicinal plants at a traditional medicine market in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, and conventional antibiotics and antifungals. Methods: To determine the interactive antimicrobial profiles for plant/conventional antimicrobial combinations, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays were performed against ESKAPE pathogens and the yeasts <i>Candida albicans</i> and <i>Candida glabrata</i>. Calculated fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC) values were used to identify synergism or antagonism, with synergistic interactions further tested in vitro for toxicity. Results: A total of 952 combinations were tested, of which 5.8% and 54.6% of the plant/antibiotic combinations were synergistic and antagonistic, respectively; additionally, 1.7% and 58.6% of the plant/antifungal combinations showed synergism or antagonism, respectively. The most toxic plant/antibiotic combination was <i>Artemisia afra</i> with doxycycline (71.1% mortality). The most toxic plant/antifungal combination was <i>Acorus calamus</i> with fluconazole (78.8% mortality). Conclusions: When medicinal plants acquired from a traditional medicine market in South Africa are used in combination with conventional antibiotics and antifungals, more than half of the combinations exhibit antagonism, which is concerning.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/5/512antibioticsantifungalstraditional medicinal plantsantimicrobial combinationsinteractionssynergistic |
| spellingShingle | Zelna Booth Sabiha Essack Sandy van Vuuren Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study Antibiotics antibiotics antifungals traditional medicinal plants antimicrobial combinations interactions synergistic |
| title | Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study |
| title_full | Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study |
| title_fullStr | Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study |
| title_short | Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study |
| title_sort | conventional antimicrobial and medicinal plants from a traditional medicine market in south africa an interactive antimicrobial and toxicity study |
| topic | antibiotics antifungals traditional medicinal plants antimicrobial combinations interactions synergistic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/5/512 |
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